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7 - Nitrogen processes in aquatic ecosystems

from Part II - Nitrogen processing in the biosphere

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2011

By
Patrick Durand ,
Lutz Breuer ,
Penny J. Johnes ,
Gilles Billen ,
Andrea Butturini ,
Gilles Pinay ,
Hans van Grinsven ,
Josette Garnier ,
Michael Rivett  and
David S. Reay
...Show all authors
Edited by
Mark A. Sutton ,
Clare M. Howard ,
Jan Willem Erisman ,
Gilles Billen ,
Albert Bleeker ,
Peringe Grennfelt ,
Hans van Grinsven  and
Bruna Grizzetti
Patrick Durand
Affiliation:
INRA, France
Lutz Breuer
Affiliation:
Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management
Penny J. Johnes
Affiliation:
University of Reading
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
University Pierre & Marie Curie
Andrea Butturini
Affiliation:
University of Barcelona
Gilles Pinay
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Josette Garnier
Affiliation:
UMR Sisyphe UPMC ' CNRS
Michael Rivett
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
David S. Reay
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh
Chris Curtis
Affiliation:
University College London Environmental Change Research Centre
Jan Siemens
Affiliation:
University of Bonn Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation – Soil Sciences
Stephen Maberly
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Øyvind Kaste
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Christoph Humborg
Affiliation:
Stockholm University
Roos Loeb
Affiliation:
B-ware Research Centre
Jeroen de Klein
Affiliation:
Wageningen University and Research Centre
Josef Hejzlar
Affiliation:
Institute of Hydrobiology
Pirkko Kortelainen
Affiliation:
Finnish Environment Institute
Ahti Lepistö
Affiliation:
Finnish Environment Institute
Richard Wright
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Clare M. Howard
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Jan Willem Erisman
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
CNRS and University of Paris VI
Albert Bleeker
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Peringe Grennfelt
Affiliation:
Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
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Summary

Executive summary

Nature of the problem

  • Freshwater ecosystems play a key role in the European nitrogen (N) cycle, both as a reactive agent that transfers, stores and processes N loadings from the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, and as a natural environment severely impacted by the increase of these loadings.

Approaches

  • This chapter is a review of major processes and factors controlling N transport and transformations for running waters, standing waters, groundwaters and riparian wetlands.

Key findings/state of knowledge

  • The major factor controlling N processes in freshwater ecosystems is the residence time of water, which varies widely both in space and in time, and which is sensitive to changes in climate, land use and management.

  • The effects of increased N loadings to European freshwaters include acidification in semi-natural environments, and eutrophication in more disturbed ecosystems, with associated loss of biodiversity in both cases.

  • An important part of the nitrogen transferred by surface waters is in the form of organic N, as dissolved organic N (DON) and particulate organic N (PON). This part is dominant in semi-natural catchments throughout Europe and remains a significant component of the total N load even in nitrate enriched rivers.

  • In eutrophicated standing freshwaters N can be a factor limiting or co-limiting biological production, and control of both N and phosphorus (P) loading is often needed in impacted areas, if ecological quality is to be restored.

Type
Chapter
Information
The European Nitrogen Assessment
Sources, Effects and Policy Perspectives
 , pp. 126 - 146
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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